Invalid-bed



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. CLARK, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

INVALID-BED.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 18,189, dated September 15, 1857.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described by which the whole breadth of the foot portion of the bed may be lowered away at the head end near the longitudinal center of the bed, for purposes of accouchement, ablution of the lower part of the body, convenient introduction of a bed pan, &c., and also in combining with said arrangement of parts a slide attached to the frame of the bed to'be slid forward to support the bed pan or chamber vessel, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

I am aware that beds have often been so constructed that the` foot end of the footp'ortionmight be lowered. I am also aware that beds have been made with small openings in the middle for the use of a chamber f vessel or bed pan, said opening being closed by a tted piece folded or otherwise intro-,

duced into it. This arrangement, besides being much more expensive than mine, is but illy adapted to facilitate the use of the bed pan or chamber vessel, and is of no use whatever for purposes of accouchement and ablution.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevat-ion .of my improved bed. Fig. 2 is a sectional longitudinal elevation showing the parts beyond kthe middle of the bed, the legs and some other parts being in this view omitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse elevation of the parts at the right hand of the line X X dotted across Figs. 1 and 2.

A is the frame of t-he bed.

B, B, are the legs. These may be omitted, and the bed placed upon any common bedstead that will stand up without t-he use of 'a cord, if desired.

middle of the bed. The head of the bed may be raised by turning the roller E so as to wind up the straps F, which are attached to the struts G the upper ends of which are attached to the head of the bed. These parts are secured in position by the pawl H which catches into the wheel I on the end of the roller E. This roller` is turned with a key inserted into a square hole in the center of the wheel I. The mattress D is stationary.

J is the mattress which forms the foot portion of the bed; It is hung by straps to the rollers K and L', and may be raised to its present position; or lowered either at the end toward the foot or at the end toward the head of the bed, or both, as the convenience of the patient or the necessities of the case may require. These rollers are turned, and

secured in position in the same manner as the roller E.

IVhen the patientrequires the use of the chamber vessel or bed pan, the head end of the mattress J is lowered out of the way, and a slide M which is hung in brackets N attachedto t-he cross piece O (which cross piece forms a part of the frame) is slid toward the foot of the bed to support the vessel. A suitable hole is cut in this slide M to receive the vessel so that it shall not be accidentally knocked out of place.

`When persons are unable to be moved it is very often necessary to get at the lower port-ion of the body for the purpose of 4ablution, &c. This arrangement provides for doing so very conveniently by lowering vlay the yhead of the foot portion of the Having thus fully described my invention I claim*- 1. The construction and arrangement of parts herein described, by which the head end of the foot portion of the bed is made capable of being lowered away from the patient substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

2. I also claim combining with said ar- GEORGE H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

H. B. BRYANT, CHAs. W. THOMPSON. 

